All the microphones were pointed at a man from Kerala on Tuesday. PR Sreejesh had an idea what it means to be the captain of India’s hockey team, but still he found himself under-prepared the moment it was set in stone.
More accustomed to blocking balls fired at him, Sreejesh, the goalkeeper, was trying to keep the flashlights away from his eyes. The media was gunning for the new man at the helm of a sport that finds a connection with Indians whenever it does well.
But the man not in focus was equally important.
Sardar Singh is not used to staying away from limelight. The Deputy Superintendent from Hissar in Haryana has become synonymous with Indian hockey over the years, and a headline about the game without his name never made as much impact.
It’s not that he isn’t part of the masthead today. But the contrast is something the 28-year-old will have to get used to for the rest of his career.
The undercurrent to this eventual tsunami that struck Sardar was felt for a while, and somewhat anticipated in the build-up to the announcement of India’s squad for Rio Olympics. Sardar must have felt the captain’s armband slipping down his arm.
Indian hockey is going through an upswing with a silver at the Champions Trophy, and not to be the leader of the change that may be coming will be a hard pill for Sardar to swallow. But it takes nothing away from Sreejesh, who has earned his stripes.
What caused the shift
It’s not a secret that Sardar Singh, the central midfielder, is no longer the same playmaker who has been nominated for the International Hockey Federation’s Player of the Year award on more than one occasion.
While his individual skills have stayed intact, the incisive passes, which used to cut defending lines in half, haven’t been as frequent.
At 29, a drop in form may be argued as a passing phase. But not the controversies that Sardar allegedly got involved with off the field, which may have contributed to costing him, first, a Champions Trophy medal and now, the national captaincy.
Sardar was “rested” for the Champions Trophy in London, that was not the only premise his exclusion was based upon. A British woman hockey player of Indian origin dropped a bomb in February 2016 when she filed a police complaint – both in UK and India – against Sardar, claiming an "attempt to rape" by the then India captain.
In fact, this may have been part of the reason Sardar wasn’t selected for the Champions Trophy, fearing that the United Kingdom police might act on the complaint, putting the Indian star’s career and Rio Olympics in jeopardy. But while it saved Sardar from possible legal hassles, he won’t have a Champions Trophy medal to show – something he will probably rue for the rest of his life.
Sardar’s absence meant Sreejesh captained the side in London, and the team played out of its skin to reach the final, where they lost to Australia. And when, after the former captain’s return, India finished fifth in the subsequent six-nation tournament in Spain, the contrasting results under two different leaders provided Hockey India the window for a change of guard in Indian hockey.
What the shift means
For sure it will take some load off the Sardar's shoulders. But according to coach Roelant Oltmans, the decision has nothing to do with that. “I had a one-on-one with him describing why it’s needed. He was very receptive and said if that’s what is in the best interest of the team, then it’s more than acceptable to him,” Oltmans said.
The change will also give Sardar time to introspect as it could be his last Olympics, and he would want to give it his all to redeem himself of everything going on off the pitch.
But under Sreejesh in London, the team looked more united – unlike with many of the previous squads, the moves were more fluid with Manpreet Singh as centre-half and the attackers, led by new vice captain SV Sunil, appeared more threatening.
This, however, doesn’t push Sardar out of the frame. There’s no replacement for experience when it’s still relevant, especially at the Olympics, where you can only field 16 players instead of the usual 18. That makes Sardar a prize possession – captain or not.
Sreejesh, who has been at the forefront of India’s Asian Games gold, Hockey World League bronze and Champions Trophy silver, earns the respect of his team-mates on the sheer weight of his performance; and his choice as Sardar’s successor can’t be contested.
The interesting point: in less than past two years, India have won a medal of every colour on the world stage. Is this a sign of things to come in the next month and a half? India will certainly hope for a mind, and may not even mind what colour it is.